Overview
- The Centre for Ageing Better released new survey findings on June 9 for its Age Without Limits Day and asked the public to stop using everyday expressions that stereotype older people.
- The statistics come from an Opinium online poll of 4,000 UK adults carried out in January, which the charity says shows these phrases remain widespread across age groups.
- Key survey results include one in 10 people in their late 40s and early 50s being called “over the hill,” nearly a quarter told they were “stuck in their ways,” 9% of those 65+ labelled “dinosaur,” and 13% of over‑75s described as “past their sell‑by date.”
- Campaign leads warned that casual language such as “old dogs can’t learn new tricks” and “mutton dressed as lamb” normalises bias and can lead to real harms, including loss of job opportunities, lower confidence and unequal health treatment.
- The charity links this public plea to a wider pattern of workplace ageism documented in recent Centre research that found many employers view candidates as less desirable from around age 50, a change that could worsen if everyday stereotyping continues.